Liz Truss replaces Lord Frost in post-Brexit talks

Liz TrussPA Media

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will replace Lord Frost as the UK's lead negotiator with the EU in post-Brexit talks.

She will retain her role as foreign minister alongside the new post leading negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

It follows the resignation of Lord Frost as Brexit minister on Saturday.

MP Chris Heaton-Harris will become minister of state for Europe, Downing Street said.

Mr Heaton-Harris will be replaced at the transport department by Wendy Morton, who was previously at the Foreign Office.

Conservative MPs are split over the departure of Lord Frost, who resigned citing "concerns about the current direction of travel" of the government.

The peer told Prime Minister Boris Johnson he had concerns over Covid policy, urging him to avoid introducing "coercive measures".

Some Tory backbench MPs who share Lord Frost's views described his exit as a "disaster".

But others in the party said it offered a chance to "press the reset button" in negotiations with the EU.

A monster brief

Liz Truss has a lot of jobs.

She's the foreign secretary, the minister for women and equalities, and now the lead negotiator with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

This is a monster brief.

Particularly noteworthy therefore is the appointment of her deputy, Chris Heaton-Harris - a former MEP who supported Leave in 2016.

His presence may appease some Tory backbenchers who were particularly unhappy to see Lord Frost go.

But will Liz Truss approach negotiations with the EU like her predecessor?

It's early days but I've heard initial suggestions that there won't be a radical departure on policy.

However the UK's approach, pre-Truss, was already softening in certain areas. A source close to the foreign secretary said: "Liz and David are friends and come at things from the same direction but Liz will put her own stamp on it and do it the Liz Truss way."

But no matter how confident the foreign secretary may feel, she's inheriting a hard, and politically sensitive, task.

Ms Truss campaigned for Remain ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, saying continued membership of the EU was "in Britain's economic interest".

She has since said she would back Brexit, if another referendum were to be held.

Maros Sefcovic, the EU's lead post-Brexit negotiator, said he would "continue to co-operate with the UK in the same constructive spirit on all important tasks ahead, including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland".

The Northern Ireland Protocol has remained a sticking point since it was struck between the UK and EU in 2019, with some businesses saying it makes it more difficult to send goods to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

In a statement on Friday, Lord Frost said of recent talks over gaps between the UK and EU: "There has been some progress, but not as much, and not as quickly as we had hoped."

Labour's Baroness Chapman said that, while she congratulated Ms Truss on her appointment, the government must "now stop their needless posturing and work to reach an agreement".

Who is Liz Truss?

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Elizabeth Truss became foreign secretary at the last reshuffle in September - replacing Dominic Raab.

Her rise to one of the great offices of state has seen her navigate a fast track through Whitehall - taking on her first government job just two years after first being elected as MP for south west Norfolk in 2010.

She began in the education department, before moving to become secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in 2014.

She was Lord Chancellor and justice secretary in 2016 - then chief secretary to the Treasury until 2019 when she became international trade secretary.

In this role, Ms Truss helped the UK deliver a number of post-Brexit trade deals with countries including Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Lord Frost's resignation came after a major by-election defeat for the Conservatives, losing the formerly safe seat of North Shropshire to the Liberal Democrats.

In his resignation letter, Lord Frost spoke of disagreement with tightened coronavirus restrictions in England that saw Mr Johnson endure his biggest Commons rebellion so far.

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